GILGIT: Pakistani climbers under the patronage of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government have successfully conquered Tirich Mir (7,708 metres), the highest peak of the Hindu Kush range, raising the national flag at its summit.
The seven-member team began its expedition from Chitral Valley on August 5, facing treacherous glaciers, snowbound ridges, and severe weather.
Despite blizzards and freezing conditions, Sarbaz Khan and Abid Baig of Gilgit-Baltistan successfully reached the summit, while the remaining climbers braved up to 7,300 metres before being halted by storms.
The team included Director of Tourism Authority Umar Arshad Khan, Dr Naveed Iqbal, Major Muhammad Atif, Shamsul Qamar, and Akmal Naveed, with vital support from high-altitude porters experienced above 8,000 metres.
The KP Chief Minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, congratulated the climbers, with officials noting that the summit was possible due to his personal efforts. Following this milestone, the government has declared 2025–26 as the “Tirich Mir Summit Year.” Tirich Mir was first scaled in 1950 by a Norwegian team, but this is the first government-backed Pakistani expedition to the peak.
Alongside the summit, over 60 male and female trekkers reached Tirich Mir base camp in three groups, assisted by 100+ local porters and trekking guides. Officials confirmed that the initiative has attracted global attention, with foreign mountaineers now planning expeditions to Pakistan’s towering peaks.
